fall and a senator tripped over it.

There were no lamps. Something less than twilight, deepened here and
there by shadow, filled the tunnel. By a niche intended for a sentry
the attendants were standing helplessly around the body of a man who lay
with head and shoulders propped against the wall. Narcissus and
another, like knotted snakes, were writhing near by. There was a sound
of choking. Pavonius Nasor was silent. He appeared already dead.

"Pluto! Is there no light?" Commodus demanded. "What has happened?"

"They have killed your shadow, sire!"

"Who killed him?"

"Men who sprang out of the darkness suddenly."

"One man. Only one. I have him here. He lives yet, but he dies!"
Narcissus said.

He dragged a writhing body on the flagstones, holding it by one wrist.

"He was armed. I had to throttle him to save my liver from his knife.
I think I broke his neck. He is certainly dying," said Narcissus.

Some one had gone for a lamp and came along the tunnel with it.

"Let me look," said Commodus. "Here, give me that lamp!"

He looked first at Pavonius Nasor, who gazed back, at him with stupid,
passionless, already dimming eyes. A stream of blood was gushing from
below his left arm.

"Now the gods of heaven and hell, and all the strange gods that have no
resting place, and all the spirits of the air and earth and sea, defile
your spirit!" Commodus exploded. "Careless, irresponsible, ungrateful
fool! You have deprived me of my liberty! You let yourself be killed
like any sow under the butcher's knife, and dare to leave me shadowless?
Then die like carrion and rot unburied!"

He began to kick him, but the stricken man's lips moved. Commodus bent
down and tried to listen--tried again, mastered impatience and at last
stood upright, shaking both fists at the tunnel roof.

"Omnipotent Progenitor of Lightnings!" he exploded. "He says he should
have had stewed eels tonight!"

The watching senators mistook that for a cue to laugh. Their laughter
touched off all the magazines of Caesar's rage. He turned into a mania.
He tore at his own hair. He tore off his loin-cloth and stood naked.
He tried to kill Narcissus, because Narcissus was the nearest to him.
His crashing centurion's parade voice filled the tunnel.

"Dogs! Dogs' ullage! Vipers!" he yelled. "Who slew my shadow? Who did
it? This is a conspiracy! Who hatched it? Bring my tablets! Warn the
executioners! What is Commodus withou